"Repeal the Sunset Clause on Safe Freight Rates" Cargo Solidarity General Strike... Logistics Disruption Becomes Reality

Departure Ceremony Held at 10:25 AM on the 7th
Nationwide Simultaneous Strike Departure Ceremony, Industrial Site Logistics Disruptions Inevitable
President Yoon Emphasizes Law and Principles... Government to Strictly Respond to Illegal Strikes

At around 10:10 a.m. on the 7th, the Cargo Solidarity Headquarters of the Public Transport Union under the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions held a general strike departure ceremony in front of the main gate of the Inland Container Depot (ICD) in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province. When union members sat outside the designated protest area, the police installed barricades.
Photo by Gong Byung-seon mydillon@

[Asia Economy Reporters Byungseon Gong, Jonghwa Kim, Minyoung Kim, Chaeseok Moon, Seungyoon Song] “Determined! Fight!” Around 10 a.m. on the 7th, members of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) Public Transport Workers' Union Cargo Solidarity Headquarters (Cargo Solidarity) sat in five rows across two lanes in front of the main gate of the Uiwang Inland Container Depot (ICD) in Gyeonggi Province, repeatedly shouting slogans. Around 10:05 a.m., nearly 500 members of the Pyeongtaek Port Branch Ottogi Chapter also joined the strike, holding flags.

The rally organizer holding the microphone said, “Members are continuously gathering here to cooperate,” and requested, “Please open the other lane as well.” Subsequently, members of the Pyeongtaek Port Branch moved to occupy the remaining lane. The police announced through a loudspeaker, “Crossing beyond the designated rally area and obstructing traffic constitutes a violation of the Road Traffic Act,” and warned, “If you do not return beyond the center line, illegal acts will be recorded from now on.” However, the members ignored this and sat down in the lane. Around 10:25 a.m., Cargo Solidarity members held a send-off ceremony with applause.

On this day, send-off ceremonies for the Cargo Solidarity general strike were held at 16 regional headquarters nationwide. The send-off ceremony for the Seoul and Gyeonggi regions took place in front of the Uiwang ICD in Gyeonggi Province. Cargo Solidarity stated, “Since the first negotiation with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport on the 2nd, there has been no request for dialogue from the government,” and claimed, “The government is only focused on establishing strict response policies.” According to on-site sources, all employees inside the Uiwang ICD have rushed out to the rally site, halting work.

Cargo Solidarity is demanding the abolition of the sunset clause on the Safe Freight Rate System. Amid soaring diesel prices and increasing fuel costs for freight workers, the Safe Freight Rate System, which guaranteed wages for freight workers, is scheduled to be abolished this year. Cargo Solidarity argues that without amendments to the related laws, appropriate wage guarantees cannot be ensured.

Due to the Cargo Solidarity strike, logistics at workplaces nationwide are facing disruptions. At the Uiwang Inland Container Depot (ICD) in Gyeonggi Province, where the Seoul and Gyeonggi send-off ceremony was held, all employees participated in the rally, bringing operations to a complete stop. The Busan Port, the largest trading port, also saw a sharp decline in container truck entries and exits, and Gunsan Port, responsible for livestock feed ingredients such as processed meat and corn, as well as power plant fuel, also came to a halt. In Pohang, where steel companies are concentrated, shipments of steel products were completely suspended starting this day. The halt of bulk cement trailers (BCT), special vehicles for cement transport, may paralyze construction sites. During the Cargo Solidarity strike in November last year, cement shipments dropped by up to 80% in a single day.

Cement and container trucks are subject to the Safe Freight Rate System and have a high membership rate in Cargo Solidarity. Even trucks not affiliated with Cargo Solidarity are passively participating in the strike due to the influence of the Safe Freight Rate System. The Icheon and Cheongju plants, which handle 70% of HiteJinro’s total soju production, are experiencing difficulties in shipping soju products. If the strike prolongs, shortages could spread to convenience stores, wholesalers, large marts, and regular restaurants.

The government has decided to respond strictly to illegal strikes. President Yoon Suk-yeol stated on his way to the Yongsan Presidential Office building, “Whether it is unfair labor practices by employers or illegal acts by workers, we have declared since the election campaign that we will respond according to the law and principles,” emphasizing a ‘principled response to illegal acts.’ The government plans to hold individuals criminally and civilly liable under a zero-tolerance policy and intends to suspend or revoke driver’s licenses if illegal obstruction or transport interference using vehicles occurs. If workers disobey orders to resume work, their freight transport qualifications will be revoked.

The government will deploy military-commissioned container trucks and other official vehicles to major ports such as Busan Port and key logistics bases and will immediately allow paid transport by private freight vehicles. If necessary, container and cement transport trains will be increased, and idle vehicles not affiliated with Cargo Solidarity will be used for alternative transport. From midnight on the 7th, tolls on expressways will be waived for special towing vehicles over 10 tons and private paid transport vehicles that did not participate in the strike during the collective transport refusal period. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport plans to form a task force (TF) to begin substantive discussions regarding the Safe Freight Rate System, which sparked the strike.

The police have announced a strict response to illegal acts. Commissioner General Kim Chang-ryong instructed internally, “Commanders at all levels should actively lead the situation in case of illegal acts and utilize available personnel as if on emergency duty according to the situation at the station,” and “Illegal actors should be apprehended on-site as much as possible, and appropriate personnel deployment plans should be established by function.” It is reported that about 1,200 police officers from 16 companies were deployed to the ICD, Pyeongtaek Port, and other workplaces on this day. However, at the rally site in front of the Uiwang ICD, the police focused on recording illegal acts.